Color code reuse for cellular systems

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to mobile wireless communications networks, and in particular, a method to reduce cross channel interference and cross talk in a cellular system, both within a mobile telephone switching office and between mobile telephone switching offices. The present invention relates generally to the assignment of color codes to cells in order to minimize the cross talk. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention are related to methods that allow assignment of color codes based on a coding scheme and distances between assigned color code symbols in the transmission.

BACKGROUND

A cellular telephone is a two radio transceiver communicating with a network of base stations as the mobile subscriber travels through the service area. The base stations are connected to a mobile telephone switching office (hereinafter “MSO”). The MSO links the cellular network to the land based public switch telephone network (hereinafter “PSTN”). A series of signals passes between a wireless mobile cellular device and a mobile base station. These signals enable the wireless mobile device or telephone to operate in a similar fashion as a wired land line phone.

The cellular system uses a finite number of frequencies that are shared amongst the multiple wireless telephone devices communicating through the cellular system. As such, it is possible that a mobile unit may receive signals from more than one base-station at one time. It is also possible that as a mobile unit moves through a coverage area, the signal strength of the transmitted or received signal may fall below a useable level. Other fading and interference effects may also prevent a clear connection. Further, the mobile may implement a scheme called discontinuous transmission (hereinafter “DTx”) in which speech is only transmitted when it is present. In order to handle these problems, the cellular base-station transmits “color code” symbols. Color code symbols are dedicated digital symbols in the transmission assigned to cells within the system. When a mobile device receives and decodes a signal, the mobile device then checks that the color code symbol received matches the color code for the service area cell to which the mobile device is currently assigned. If the color code does not match, the speech is discarded and not played out. Color code matching prevents cross talk in a speech conversation. Color code matching is done from the base-station to the mobile device as well as in a reverse direction. During a conversation, both the base-station and the mobile device continuously send the assigned color codes to each other, embedded in the transmission

In order to place a call, a user enters the desired number and presses send on their mobile device. The phone quickly measures the signal strength on the active access channels, and tunes to the strongest available signal strength. The mobile device then transmits identifying information and the number to call to the base-station. The base-station forwards this same information to the MSO. The base-station sets up the channel, using the appropriate color code for the cell, and begins sending the assigned color code embedded in the transmission to the mobile device. The MSO also out-pulses the call number to the PSTN, if the device is calling a land line telephone; or sends a paging message if the device is calling another mobile device. The mobile device receives and decodes the assigned voice channel and verifies that the color code is correct. If the color code is correct, the mobile device decodes the audio to the handset speaker. The base-station detects a reverse color code that the mobile device is sending. The base-station also un-mutes the reverse audio provided that the color code is correct. The checking of the color code is done on a frame-by-frame basis in both directions, independently.

The color codes not only assist in reducing interference, they also allow frequency reuse across sites and cellular networks. The frequency reused in geographically separated cells ensures radio spectrum efficiency but introduces undesirable co-channel interference that may result in dropped calls, hand off failure or cross talk in cases when the color codes are misinterpreted due to noise, resulting in a symbol error. What is needed is a method and a system that can be deployed to eliminate or reduce cross channel interference resulting in dropped calls, hand off failure or cross talk experienced by a mobile device user.

SUMMARY

In one aspect thereof, a method of assigning color codes to wireless cellular communication base-stations is disclosed. The system enables an operator at a Mobile Switching Office (“MSO”) to optimally configure the color codes to reduce or eliminate cross channel interference resulting in dropped calls, hand off failure, or cross talk.

The method assigns color codes to the cells and computes a relationship value between the codes. Therefore, the operator at an MSO is able to mathematically compute an optimal configuration for assignment of the color codes across cells in the system. The operator may use an iterative method of assignment to achieve optimal configuration.

Additionally, operators of separate MSOs will be able to coordinate their cellular color code assignments to reduce cross channel interference occurring at the boundaries of the separate MSOs. Therefore, an optimal wireless cellular system configuration can be achieved which minimizes probability of crosstalk within the system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views and which together with the detailed description below are incorporated in and form part of the specification, serve to further illustrate various embodiments and to explain various principles and advantages all in accordance with the present invention.

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is an exemplary wireless system containing four mobile telephone switching offices (MSO);

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> is an example of the cells of the base stations of the mobile telephone switching office;

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3A</figref> is an exemplary time-code slot in accordance with some embodiments of the invention;

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3B</figref> is an exemplary color code table in accordance with some embodiments of the invention;

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4A</figref> is an example of the cells of the base stations of a mobile telephone switching office in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4B</figref> is a flow chart for configuring the color code assignments in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref> is an example of the cells of the base stations of a mobile telephone switching office configured by an iterative process in accordance with embodiments of the present invention; and

<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref> is an example of the distance metrics between the cells of the base stations of a mobile telephone switching office in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before describing in detail embodiments that are in accordance with the present invention, it should be observed that the embodiments reside primarily in combinations of method steps and apparatus components related to an improved color coding scheme (“color code”) reuse techniques for cellular systems. Accordingly, the apparatus components and method steps have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

In this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.

It will be appreciated that embodiments of the invention described herein may be comprised of one or more conventional processors and unique stored program instructions that control the one or more processors to implement, in conjunction with certain non-processor circuits, some, most, or all of the functions of improved color code reuse for cellular systems described herein. The non-processor circuits may include, but are not limited to, a radio receiver, a radio transmitter, signal drivers, clock circuits, power source circuits, and user input devices. As such, these functions may be interpreted as steps of a method to perform improved color code reuse for cellular systems. Alternatively, some or all functions could be implemented by a state machine that has no stored program instructions, or in one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), in which each function or some combinations of certain of the functions are implemented as custom logic. Of course, a combination of the two approaches could be used. Thus, methods and means for these functions have been described herein. Further, it is expected that one of ordinary skill, notwithstanding possibly significant effort and many design choices motivated by, for example, available time, current technology, and economic considerations, when guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein will be readily capable of generating such software instructions and programs and ICs with minimal experimentation.

Methods for assigning color codes to base stations in a mobile telephone switching office and coordinating the assignment of the color codes between two or more mobile telephone switching offices is disclosed. The various methods include calculating a distance between the color codes, assigning color codes to base stations based on a maximum calculated distance between base stations. The method also includes randomly assigning color codes to a base station, computing metrics of distances to and among all of the neighbor base stations and iterating this process until a total distant metric is maximized. The method may also include a combination of randomly assigning the color codes to base stations and computing the maximum distance between color coded base stations.

Referring now to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>, a wireless cellular system in accordance with some embodiments of the invention is shown. The wireless network <b>100</b> includes multiple mobile switching offices (“MSO”) <b>102</b>, <b>104</b>, <b>106</b> and <b>108</b>. Each MSO <b>102</b>, <b>104</b>, <b>106</b> and <b>108</b> is in cellular communication with multiple base-stations within a MSO service area <b>152</b>, <b>154</b>, <b>156</b>, <b>158</b>. For example, MSO<b>1</b><b>102</b> is in cellular communication with base-stations <b>112</b>, <b>114</b> and <b>116</b>. A mobile device <b>122</b> traveling through the service area <b>152</b> MSO<b>1</b><b>102</b> can communicate with base-station <b>116</b>. As mobile device <b>122</b> travels through the service area <b>152</b> of MSO<b>1</b><b>102</b>, the mobile device <b>122</b> can transfer its wireless signal from base-station <b>116</b> to base-station <b>112</b> as the signal strength weakens at base-station <b>116</b> and strengthens at base-station <b>112</b>. When a new mobile device <b>124</b> enters the service area <b>152</b> of MSO<b>1</b><b>102</b> and establishes a communication link using base-station <b>112</b>, an MSO<b>1</b><b>102</b> assigned color code is used on the channel that the new mobile device <b>124</b> will be using. The color code used by mobile device <b>124</b> previously was assigned by the MSO<b>1</b><b>102</b> to a service area cell of the base-station <b>112</b>. The assignment of the color codes to the service area cells reduces or eliminates cross channel interference between the new mobile device <b>124</b> and mobile device <b>122</b> if they are operating on the same channel within the same service area <b>152</b> of MSO<b>1</b><b>102</b>. Additionally, a mobile device <b>126</b> operating in the service area <b>156</b> of MSO<b>3</b><b>106</b> can be communicating through base-station <b>136</b>. The MSO<b>3</b><b>106</b> assigns a color code to the cell used by base-station <b>136</b>. At the same time, the new mobile device <b>124</b> traveling from the service area <b>152</b> of MSO<b>2</b><b>104</b> into the service area <b>156</b> of MSO<b>3</b><b>106</b> may be transferred from the base-station <b>146</b> to the base-station <b>136</b>.

Referring now to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>, service area cells defined by the base stations of a mobile switching office in accordance with embodiments of the present invention are shown. Each service area cell (hereinafter “cell”) corresponds to the service area of a base-station. The cells are substantially adjacent to each other; although, some overlap exists between the cellular service areas of the base-stations. Each base-station includes multiple transceivers. The MSO, for example MSO<b>1</b><b>102</b>, assigns a color code to each base-station. As such, numbers within the cells reflect the different color codes for each cell of the base-station within a wireless communication network. For example, cell <b>202</b> could be assigned color code 1, cell <b>206</b> could be assigned a color code 2, cell <b>204</b> could be assigned a color code 6, and cell <b>208</b> could be assigned color code 5, etc. However, the MSO assigns a finite number of color codes. As such, color codes may be reused. For example, the MSO assigns color code 6 to cells <b>214</b> and <b>224</b>. Additionally, the MSO assigns color code one (1) to cells <b>202</b>, <b>212</b> and <b>222</b> respectively. For example, in an Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (hereinafter “iDEN”) system, sixteen values of color codes are composed of the repeated Quadrature Phase Shift Keyed (hereinafter “QPSK”) symbol pairs that are used by the base station. Different color codes do not have to have the same distance properties from each other. Embodiments of the present invention take into account the different color code distance properties when establishing a reuse pattern. The reuse pattern is the assignments made by the MSO wherein the color codes are reused within an MSO coverage area. As such, an optimal color code usage is obtained.

Referring back to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>, the base station assigns a channel to a mobile device user <b>232</b> in cell <b>202</b>. Additionally, the base-station uses the color code, previously assigned by the MSO (for example MSO<b>1</b><b>102</b>) and channel to communicate with a mobile device user <b>234</b> in cell <b>212</b>. The base station in cell <b>222</b> is assigned a matching color code and channel and uses this color code/channel pair to communicate to a mobile device <b>236</b> in cell <b>222</b>. As such, the mobile device <b>232</b> user in cell <b>1</b><b>202</b> can experience interference or cross talk resulting from the mobile device <b>234</b> in cell <b>212</b> and the mobile device <b>236</b> in cell <b>222</b> since the color codes and channels match that of the mobile device <b>232</b> in cell <b>202</b>.

The base station assigns to each mobile device user a time slot (hereinafter “slot”). An exemplary time-slot is illustrated in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3A</figref>. The base-station assigns additional slots to additional users as requested. As such, every mobile device user gets a slot that is periodic in nature. During the user's time slot, the user transmits digital information over the channel assigned to the cell that the user is communicating through. The mobile device <b>232</b> transmits the digital data in Quadrature Amplitude Modulated (hereinafter “QAM”) symbols. As such, the data symbols are 16QAM modulation. The data symbols are error correction coded. These data symbols contain a synchronization pattern at the front of the time slot. The base-station uses the synchronization pattern to lock onto an incoming signal's timing. The base-station also uses the synchronization pattern to demodulate the symbols of the time slot. Since every symbol of the 16QAM provides 4 bits, the base-station runs the four bits through an error code detection receiver wherein the useable bits are extracted.

Some systems, such as iDEN systems, use discontinuous transmit (DTx) techniques to save battery life. DTX is an operating condition whereby when a user is not speaking; the mobile device of the user does not transmit packets. Using DTx takes advantage of the fact that in a normal conversation, speech is being spoken roughly half the time; the remainder of the time the user is listening. DTx is exploited in order to save bandwidth and battery life, by only transmitting when speech is present.

A situation can exist wherein a mobile device user goes into DTX causing the base-station to no longer receive a strong signal from the mobile device user. However, the base-station may be receiving weaker signals from another (“interfering”) mobile device user (not shown) transmitting through substantially adjacent base stations (for example, the base-station providing cellular service to cell <b>208</b> or the base-station providing cellular service to cell <b>204</b>), but during the same time slot as the first mobile device <b>232</b>. The second or alternate (interfering) mobile device user may be delayed minutely from the time slot occupied by the first mobile device <b>232</b> because of propagation delay. However, this delay is small enough to still allow the signal to fit into the reception window of the base-station. For example, the first mobile device user may be at the edge of the first base-station service area (cell <b>202</b>) and the second mobile device user may be at an edge of a substantially adjacent base-station service area (cells <b>204</b>, <b>208</b>) such that there is very little difference between them and therefore, very little propagation delay exists. Therefore, the first mobile device synchronizes with the signal from the interfering subscriber. It is possible, during these circumstances, that co-channel transmissions from other cells may be received instead of the desired signal. When this occurs, cross talk occurs: i.e., portions of another call's speech may be periodically substituted into the conversation. The first mobile device <b>232</b> would decode the bits from the interfering subscriber properly because both of the mobile devices are using the same error correction scheme. As a result, the first mobile device <b>232</b> would play the audio from the interfering mobile device user. Obviously, this is extremely undesirable.

Referring now to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3B</figref>, exemplary color code tables in accordance with embodiments of the present invention are shown. A color code <b>300</b> has two reserve symbols, color code symbol one (1) <b>302</b> and color code symbol two (2) <b>304</b>, transmitted at the beginning of the time slot and two to reserve symbols <b>302</b> and <b>304</b> transmitted at the end of a time slot as illustrated in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3A</figref>. The base-station transmits the color code <b>300</b> in QPSK. Transmitting the color code <b>300</b> as QPSK makes it a very identifiable marker in the signal. The color code <b>300</b> is comprised of a color code symbol one <b>302</b> and a color code symbol two <b>304</b>. Color code symbol one <b>302</b> has four possible values represented by zero (0), one (1), two (2) or three (3). Color code symbol two (2) <b>304</b> has four possible values as represented by zero (0), one (1), two (2) or three (3). The combination of color code symbol one <b>302</b> and color code symbol two (2) <b>304</b> yields sixteen possible values resulting from each symbol having four possible values. As such, color code <b>300</b> has sixteen possible values as represented by Table 1.1.

<tables id="TABLE-US-00001" num="00001"><table frame="none" colsep="0" rowsep="0"><tgroup align="left" colsep="0" rowsep="0" cols="3"><colspec colname="offset" colwidth="63pt" align="left" /><colspec colname="1" colwidth="14pt" align="char" /><colspec colname="2" colwidth="140pt" align="char" /><thead><row><entry /><entry namest="offset" nameend="2" rowsep="1">TABLE 1.1</entry></row><row><entry /><entry namest="offset" nameend="2" align="center" rowsep="1" /></row></thead><tbody valign="top"><row><entry /><entry>0</entry><entry>0</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>0</entry><entry>1</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>0</entry><entry>2</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>0</entry><entry>3</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>1</entry><entry>0</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>1</entry><entry>1</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>1</entry><entry>2</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>1</entry><entry>3</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>2</entry><entry>0</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>2</entry><entry>1</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>2</entry><entry>2</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>2</entry><entry>3</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>3</entry><entry>0</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>3</entry><entry>1</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>3</entry><entry>2</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>3</entry><entry>3</entry></row><row><entry /><entry namest="offset" nameend="2" align="center" rowsep="1" /></row></tbody></tgroup></table></tables>

Each color code has distance properties that relate to other color codes. For example, for a given color code combination, other codes are not the same distance away. Color code distance for two symbols is a distance as measured in four dimensional space. The distance between two color codes is calculated through the use of Euclidean math. An example equation representing a distance from 00 to 33 would be SQRT(6²+6²+6²+6²)=2√36=12. The distances between each color code is represented in Table 2.1. A color code of 00 could be represented by a point zero (0) <b>312</b> of color code symbol one (1) <b>302</b> and a point zero (0) <b>314</b> of color code symbol two (2) <b>304</b>. The color code of 33 could be represented by a point three (3) <b>322</b> on color code symbol one (1) <b>302</b> and a point three (3) <b>324</b> on color code symbol two (2) <b>304</b>. A color code of 00 could be represented by a point zero (0) <b>312</b> of color code symbol one (1) <b>302</b> and a point zero (0) <b>314</b> of color code symbol two (2) <b>304</b>. The color code of 33 could be represented by a point three (3) <b>322</b> on color code symbol one (1) <b>302</b> and a point three (3) <b>326</b> on color code symbol two (2) <b>304</b>. The distance between color code 00 and color code 32 can be calculated using the equation SQRT(6²+6²+6²)=6√3=12. Table 2.1 represents the Euclidean distances between color code 00 and the remaining color codes available. It can be appreciated that the term color code is used for representational purposes only and that any other nomenclature representing a code could be used.

<tables id="TABLE-US-00002" num="00002"><table frame="none" colsep="0" rowsep="0"><tgroup align="left" colsep="0" rowsep="0" cols="4"><colspec colname="offset" colwidth="28pt" align="left" /><colspec colname="1" colwidth="56pt" align="left" /><colspec colname="2" colwidth="77pt" align="center" /><colspec colname="3" colwidth="56pt" align="left" /><thead><row><entry /><entry namest="offset" nameend="3" rowsep="1">TABLE 2.1</entry></row><row><entry /><entry namest="offset" nameend="3" align="center" rowsep="1" /></row><row><entry /><entry>Color Code</entry><entry>Distance</entry><entry>Preferable</entry></row><row><entry /><entry namest="offset" nameend="3" align="center" rowsep="1" /></row></thead><tbody valign="top"><row><entry /><entry>3 3</entry><entry>12</entry><entry>Best</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>3 2, 3 1, 1 3, 2 3</entry><entry>6√3</entry><entry>Good</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>1 1, 2 2, 1 2, 2 1,</entry><entry>6√2</entry><entry>Fair</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>0 3, 3 0</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>1 0, 0 1, 2 0, 0 2</entry><entry> 6</entry><entry>Worst</entry></row><row><entry /><entry namest="offset" nameend="3" align="center" rowsep="1" /></row></tbody></tgroup></table></tables>

The use of color codes at the beginning of the time slots and at the end of the time slots helps distinguish one cell from the next when the system is reusing the frequencies as described herein above with respect to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>. Most systems are designed for the finite number of frequencies due to cost constraints of acquiring frequencies, licensing for the frequencies and management of the multiple frequencies on the system. Therefore, as frequencies get reused, the color coding of the signals helps the base-station towers distinguish between two signals on the same frequency.

Referring now to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref>, an exemplary cellular configuration of a multiple switching office in accordance with embodiments of the present invention is shown. A MSO service area <b>400</b> has multiple cells within its service area. Each cell is the wireless coverage area provided by a given base-station. A wireless user <b>402</b> can be operating on a base-station covering the cellular area <b>410</b>. Another wireless user <b>404</b> is operating in a substantially adjacent cellular area as provided from another base-station <b>420</b>. Another base-station, which is substantially adjacent to the first and second base-stations, can be providing cellular service to the cellular area <b>430</b>. The cellular coverage areas of the base-stations are substantially adjacent to each other such that portion of their cellular coverage areas may overlap each other.

The MSO assigns a color code to cell one <b>402</b>. The MSO assigns color code 00 to cell one <b>402</b>. Then, the MSO assigns a color code to cell two <b>420</b>. The MSO, referring to Table 2.1, determines that color code 33 has best preferable distance from color code 00. The distance between color code 00 and color code 33 is reflected in the Distance column as being 12. Therefore, the MSO assigns color code 33 to cell two <b>420</b>. The MSO proceeds to assign a color code to cell three <b>430</b>. Again referring to Table 2.1, since the Best color code of 33 has just been assigned to cell two <b>420</b>, the MSO determines that the best available distances as compared to color code 00 are found in the good row under Preferable column. The preferable color code values found within the good row are 32, 31, 13, and 23. The distance reflected for the good row is 6√3. However, the MSO uses Table 2.2 to find the best available distance between cell three <b>430</b> and cell two <b>420</b>. Using Table 2.2 the MSO determines that the values 13, 31, 23 and 32, which were good for the relationship between cell three <b>430</b> and cell one <b>410</b>, are now the worst preferable condition with a distance of six as compared between cell three <b>430</b> and cell two <b>420</b>. The MSO determines that the highest preferable distance that cell one <b>410</b> and cell two <b>420</b> share in relation to cell three <b>430</b> is color codes 11, 22, 12, 21, 03, and 30. Both Table 2.1 and Table 2.2 reflect this row as being Fair with a distance of 6√2. Therefore, the MSO assigns a color code value of 11 to cell three <b>430</b>. It can be appreciated that the MSO could have assigned color code 22, 12, 21, 03 or 30.

<tables id="TABLE-US-00003" num="00003"><table frame="none" colsep="0" rowsep="0"><tgroup align="left" colsep="0" rowsep="0" cols="4"><colspec colname="offset" colwidth="21pt" align="left" /><colspec colname="1" colwidth="56pt" align="left" /><colspec colname="2" colwidth="84pt" align="center" /><colspec colname="3" colwidth="56pt" align="left" /><thead><row><entry /><entry namest="offset" nameend="3" rowsep="1">TABLE 2.2</entry></row><row><entry /><entry namest="offset" nameend="3" align="center" rowsep="1" /></row><row><entry /><entry>Color Code</entry><entry>Distance</entry><entry>Preferable</entry></row><row><entry /><entry namest="offset" nameend="3" align="center" rowsep="1" /></row></thead><tbody valign="top"><row><entry /><entry>00</entry><entry>12</entry><entry>Best</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>0 2, 0 1, 1 0, 2 0</entry><entry>6√3</entry><entry>Good</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>1 1, 2 2, 1 2, 2 1,</entry><entry>6√2</entry><entry>Fair</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>0 3, 3 0</entry></row><row><entry /><entry>1 3, 3 1, 2 3, 3 2</entry><entry> 6</entry><entry>Worst</entry></row><row><entry /><entry namest="offset" nameend="3" align="center" rowsep="1" /></row></tbody></tgroup></table></tables>

Referring to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4B</figref>, an exemplary flow chart in accordance with embodiments of the present invention is shown. In step <b>430</b> the MSO assigns a color code to cell one. The color code assigned can be color code 00. The MSO then moves on to step <b>434</b> where the MSO determines a color code corresponding to the maximum distance from the color code assigned to cell one, which for example, is color code 00. The MSO then assigns the color code found in step <b>434</b> to cell two. The MSO, in step <b>440</b>, determines the color code having a maximum distance to the color codes of both cell one and cell two. In step <b>444</b>, the MSO assigns the color code found in step <b>440</b> to cell three. In step <b>448</b> the MSO determines the color code having a maximum distance in common to the color codes of both cell one and cell three. In step <b>452</b> and <b>456</b> the MSO again determines the color code having a maximum distance in common to the color codes of both one and four. The MSO then assigns that color code corresponding to that maximum distance to cell five. In step <b>460</b> and <b>464</b> the MSO again determines a color code having a maximum distance in common to the color codes above cells one and five. The MSO then assigns <b>468</b> the color code found to be corresponding to the maximum distance between cells one and five to cell six. The MSO then moves on to steps <b>472</b> and <b>476</b>, the MSO determines the color code having a maximum distance to the color codes above cells one and six and assigns that color code to cell seven. Thereafter, the MSO will begin to reuse the cellular color codes. The MSO assigns the color codes again based on the maximum distance available from both the substantially adjacent cells.

Referring now to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref>, the cellular structure of an MSO in accordance with embodiments of the present invention is shown. The MSO randomly assigns a color code to cell one <b>510</b>. The MSO then randomly assigns color codes to each cell adjoining cell one <b>510</b>. Therefore, the MSO assigns a color code to cell <b>520</b>. As such, a mobile device, such as a cellular telephone, used <b>502</b> in cell one <b>510</b> can carry on a desired communication without interference from a cellular user <b>504</b> in cell two <b>520</b>. In order to accomplish this, the MSO finds a distance metric for each cell to all the neighboring cells. The metric is found by Equation 1. <br /><i>M</i>_k=sum(<i>d</i>ⁱ).  Equation 1

Additionally, the MSO computes a composite metric for the entire network. The composite metric is computed by Equation 3. <br />Composite Metric_k−max(sum(M_k)).  Equation 3

Then, the MSO iterates new random assignments for all the cells. After new color codes have been randomly assigned to all the cells, the MSO again computes a maximum distance metric for each cell and a composite metric for the network. The MSO continues the iteration process until a minimum composite metric is found.

As can be seen, a metric value for cell <b>1</b> would be a sum of all the distances between cell one and each of its neighboring cells. The composite metric for the network would be a maximum of the sum of all the metrics of each cell contained within the MSO. As illustrated by <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref>, M<b>1</b> would be D<b>1</b><b>612</b>+D<b>2</b><b>614</b>+D<b>3</b><b>616</b>+D<b>4</b><b>618</b>+D<b>5</b><b>620</b>+D<b>6</b><b>622</b>, where, fore example, D<b>1</b><b>612</b> is a distance between the cell one <b>610</b> and the cell two <b>630</b>. The composite metric would be a sum of all the metric values for the MSO. Referring back to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref>, composite metric would equal to M<b>1</b>+M<b>2</b>+M<b>3</b>+M<b>4</b>+M<b>5</b>+M<b>6</b>+M<b>7</b>+M<b>8</b>+M<b>9</b>+M<b>10</b>+M<b>11</b>+M<b>12</b>+M<b>13</b>+M<b>14</b>+M<b>15</b>+M<b>16</b>.

The MSO can also use a combination of the maximum distance calculations as represented by Table 2.1 and 2.2 and the iteration process as represented by <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 5 and 6</figref>. Therefore, the MSO would assign all the values based on equations in Table 2.1 and 2.2 and thereby establish a baseline for the system. The MSO can randomly assign values to the cells and compute the distance metrics and composite metric. Thereafter, the MSO would continue the iteration process to determine if a better composite metric can be achieved.

Furthermore, adjoining MSOs can utilize the information determined by the Tables 2.1 and 2.2 to calculate the best possible color coding for the cells that adjoin the two MSO service areas (for example, MSO<b>1</b><b>152</b> and MSO<b>3</b><b>156</b> on <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>). Therefore, a cell that is on the boundary of the MSO territory of a first MSO could be coordinated with a cell that is on the boundary of a second MSO. So, referring back to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref>, a cellular user <b>502</b> should experience no interference from a cellular user <b>504</b> if the cellular user <b>502</b> is in cell one <b>510</b> and the cellular user <b>504</b> is in cell two <b>520</b> even if cell one <b>510</b> and cell two <b>520</b> are in different MSOs (for example, MSO<b>1</b><b>152</b> and MSO<b>3</b><b>156</b> on <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>). If the two MSOs are coordinated, cell one <b>501</b> could be a part of the first MSOs network while cell two <b>520</b> could be a part of the second MSOs network but the color coding would still be configured for the highest available distance.

Using the calculation methods as described herein above, the theoretical best distance an MSO can achieve is 62.0545. This distance value will result from the distances as shown in Equation 2. This assumes that of six neighbor cells, one is the best distance, four are a good distance, and one is a fair distance. (Note that may not be possible in practice to achieve these best assignments.) An average distance can be achieved as shown in Equation 3. The worst case distance can be observed in Equation 4. (Note that the worst case distance also may not be achievable in practice, just as the best distance calculation may not be achievable.) As a result of these equations, a theoretical average improvement of 1.635 db and a maximum improvement of 3.606 db is calculated. <br />Distance(best)=12+4*6√3+6√2=62.0545  EQN 3<br />Distance(average)=6*(12+4*6√3+6*6√2+4*6)/15=51.3924  EQN 4<br />Distance(worst)=4*6+2*6√2=40.97056  EQN 5<br />Avg Improvement=20 log(62.0545/51.3924)=1.6375 dB<br />Max Improvement=20 log(62.0545/40.97056)=3.606 dB

In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present invention. The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.